The reference date for this page is Friday 16 October 2026.
Why is Waalwijk called the shoe town?
De Langstraat is the area between Geertruidenberg and 's-Hertogenbosch, with Waalwijk in the middle. The area has long been known for leather and shoes, writes the Schoenenkwartier. Leather goods maker Castelijn & Beerens puts it slightly differently. According to the company, leather has been tanned in Waalwijk for centuries, and that is why shoe and leather goods manufacturers settled there too.
The town hall shows it quite literally. On the front steps of the 1932 building stand two life-size stone statues, an ox and a cow, made by Lambertus Zijl. According to the Rijksmonumentenregister (national monuments register), they stand for the bond between Waalwijk, the cattle market and the leather industry.
What happened to the shoe industry in De Langstraat?
After a long boom, decline set in during the twentieth century. In the 1960s and 1970s many leather and shoe firms in the region had to close, the Schoenenkwartier explains in its exhibition Het Verhaal van de Langstraat (The Story of the Langstraat). Wikipedia places the start of that decline at the arrival of the European Economic Community in the late 1950s, and names 1965 as the last year in which Dutch shoe production still grew.
The trade has not disappeared entirely. The museum points to the companies in the region that still work with leather and shoes, and to training courses and shoe design. According to Wikipedia, the emphasis shifted from factory work to design and trade.
One trace of that era lies in the landscape. The railway between Lage Zwaluwe and 's-Hertogenbosch, nicknamed the Halvezolenlijn (half-soles line), ran past the shoe factories of De Langstraat. The line closed in 1972. Walkers and cyclists now use its historic bridges (Sources: European Heritage Awards and Wikipedia).
What is the Schoenenkwartier?
The Schoenenkwartier is a shoe museum, shoe lab and knowledge centre in one. Since 2022 it has occupied a wing of Waalwijk's former town hall, the Krophollercomplex, which architect Alexander Kropholler built in phases in the 1930s (Sources: Schoenenkwartier, Dezeen, Wikipedia). The town hall is a national monument.
The collection numbers 20,000 objects, 13,000 of them shoes. The oldest complete shoe is a wooden patten from around 1300. The focus is on the period from 1875 to 1975, which the museum calls the golden age of the Dutch shoe industry. There are also designs by Salvatore Ferragamo, Roger Vivier, Jan Jansen and United Nude.
What can you do there?
- See the exhibitions, such as Het Verhaal van de Langstraat, Hoe Het Gemaakt Wordt (How It Is Made) and Wie De Schoen Past (If the Shoe Fits).
- Visit a temporary exhibition. From 15 October 2026, Head over Heels runs, covering more than five centuries of heels.
- Watch makers at work in the Schoenenlab (shoe lab), where designers and students devise and build new shoes.
- Make something yourself in a workshop, such as a leather bag or leather flowers.
- Go with children; a child's ticket includes a free trail.
In Het Verhaal van de Langstraat you will find a shoe belonging to the Giant of Rotterdam, in size 62.
What are the opening hours and prices of the Schoenenkwartier?
The Schoenenkwartier is open from Tuesday to Friday, 10.00 to 17.00. On Saturday, Sunday and public holidays it is open from 12.00 to 17.00, and it is closed on Monday. Museum.nl gives the same times. Closing days include New Year's Day, King's Day, Easter Sunday, Whit Sunday, Christmas Day and Friday 27 November 2026.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adults | €16.00 |
| Children aged 4 to 17 | €9.00 |
| Children aged 0 to 3 | free |
| Card holders, including Museumkaart, ICOM, CJP and students in vocational, higher professional and university education | see the prices page |
The source is the Schoenenkwartier prices page, reference date 16 October 2026. You can also buy a Museumkaart (Dutch museum pass) at the ticket desk, and it is valid straight away. Payment is by debit card or contactless only.
Wednesday is especially good value. Since January 2026, on Waalwijk Woensdag (Waalwijk Wednesday) you may bring someone along for free; the cheapest ticket is waived. Wednesday is also the day of the weekly market in the centre.
How do you get there?
The address is Raadhuisplein 1, 5141 KG Waalwijk. You can park on the Taxandriaweg for a day rate of €4. By bus, travel to the Vredesplein bus station, a ten-minute walk away. Mind the A59. From 16 to 26 October 2026 the A59 and the Hooipolder interchange are closed for maintenance; the museum mentions diversions via Raamsdonksveer and Tilburg.
How did the shoe museum begin?
Shoemaker and trade teacher Antoon Hendriks collected shoes from the 1930s onwards. In 1953 he showed his collection at the SLEM exhibition (Schoen, Leder en Mode, or Shoes, Leather and Fashion) in Waalwijk. Manufacturers from the region then founded a museum, which opened in 1954 in a small building on the Kloosterwerf. After three moves it ended up in the Krophollercomplex in 2022 (Sources: Schoenenkwartier and Wikipedia).
Who are Castelijn & Beerens?
Castelijn & Beerens is a family-run leather goods business from Waalwijk. In 1945 master stitcher Walter Castelijn and master cutter Marinus Beerens started out together with leather belts, handbags and conference folders. In 1964 the company launched the Porto Quick, a purse with a patented magnetic strip for sorting coins. The business has always stayed in the family's hands.
Frequently asked questions about shoes and leather in Waalwijk
How much is a ticket for the Schoenenkwartier?
An adult pays €16 and a child aged 4 to 17 pays €9, trail included. Children up to and including 3 get in free. Separate terms apply to holders of a Museumkaart, ICOM or CJP card, among others. On Wednesday you can bring someone along for free. Prices as of 16 October 2026.
Is the Schoenenkwartier open on Monday?
No, the Schoenenkwartier is closed on Monday. On Mondays that are public holidays, such as Whit Monday, and on Monday 28 December 2026 it is open, from 12.00 to 17.00. From Tuesday to Friday you are welcome from 10.00 to 17.00, and at weekends and on public holidays from 12.00 to 17.00.
Where was Waalwijk's old shoe museum?
The first museum opened in 1954 on the Kloosterwerf in Waalwijk. After that the collection moved three more times. Since 2022 the museum has been called the Schoenenkwartier and has occupied a wing of the former town hall on the Raadhuisplein. Wikipedia gives its previous name as the Nederlands Leder- en Schoenenmuseum (Dutch Leather and Shoe Museum).
Can you make something yourself at the Schoenenkwartier?
Yes. The museum runs workshops, such as making a leather bag in one day, making leather flowers and felting slippers from Dutch wool. There are separate workshops for children. Designers and students can work in the Schoenenlab with a project proposal, with guidance and machines. Prices and dates are on the website.
Sources
- Schoenenkwartier, Openingstijden (opening hours): schoenenkwartier.nl/openingstijden
- Schoenenkwartier, Entreeprijzen (admission prices): schoenenkwartier.nl/entree-prijzen
- Schoenenkwartier, Adres en route (address and directions): schoenenkwartier.nl/adres-route
- Schoenenkwartier, Geschiedenis (history): schoenenkwartier.nl/geschiedenis
- Schoenenkwartier, Collectie (collection): schoenenkwartier.nl/collectie
- Schoenenkwartier, Het Verhaal van de Langstraat: schoenenkwartier.nl/het-verhaal-van-de-langstraat
- Schoenenkwartier, Schoenenlab: schoenenkwartier.nl/schoenenlab
- Schoenenkwartier, Workshops: schoenenkwartier.nl/te-doen/workshops
- Schoenenkwartier, Waalwijk Woensdag: schoenenkwartier.nl/waalwijk-woensdag
- Rijksmonumentenregister, monument 521817 (town hall): monumentenregister.cultureelerfgoed.nl/monumenten/pdf/521817
- Castelijn & Beerens, Historie (history): www.castelijnenbeerens.com/nl/service/historie
- Museum.nl, Het Schoenenkwartier (secondary): www.museum.nl/en/het-schoenenkwartier
- Dezeen, 4 September 2022 (secondary): www.dezeen.com/2022/09/04/civic-architects-schoenenkwartier-shoe-museum-waaliwijk
- Wikipedia, Schoenenkwartier (secondary): nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoenenkwartier
- Wikipedia, Langstraat (streek) (secondary): nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langstraat_(streek)
- European Heritage Awards, Railway bridges in the Langstraat Region (secondary): www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/railway-bridges-langstraat-region-s-hertogenbosch-lage-zwaluwe
All sources accessed on 16 October 2026.
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